


Powerless Hakurei Tales 10.5:  Scarlet Weather Rhapsody

by Carmichael_Micaalus



Series: Powerless Hakurei Tales [9]
Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 13:51:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15864900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmichael_Micaalus/pseuds/Carmichael_Micaalus
Summary: Disaster!  An earthquake rocks the Hakurei Shrine, causing everything to collapse!  As Marisa tends to her wounded mother, Reimu searches for answers!  What do the Heavens have in store for Gensokyo?!





	Powerless Hakurei Tales 10.5:  Scarlet Weather Rhapsody

Scarlet Weather Rhapsody

 

“It’s- it’s stopping!”

“Is everyone alright?!”

“Reimu, are you okay?!”

“I’m- I’m okay, but Auntie Mima!”

The group quickly landed, looking at the shrine grounds.  The quake had caused the shrine to collapse in on itself, along with the living quarters.  Shizuha fell to her knees and screamed in despair as she gripped her head.

The resident spectre of the Hakurei Shrine laid on the pathway, propped up on one arm with her other reaching towards the shrine.  Her eyes were wide open, staring in stark horror.

“Ma?!”  Marisa fell to her knee beside her mother; Mima’s breathing came in ragged gasps.  “Ma, what’s wrong?!”

“My- my seal…”  She swallowed, her hand started to shake.  “The- the rubble, it’s… going to break it, I can’t- I can’t hold it for very long…!”

“To the shrine!”  Marisa screamed, jumping to her feat.  “Everyone- dig! Move!”

The magician and the gods began to quickly remove debris with their powers, while Reimu moved around, pointing out what to remove next without causing more to cave in.

“Roots!”  The shrine maiden called out, landing against the earthen wall of the basement.  She began to slide down a hole made by a support beam. “Divinity Minoriko, I see roots!”

“Reimu, be careful-!”

The nature god touched the ground with her hands, feeling the location of her shrine maiden.  “Thank you, and please be careful, sweetie!”

The ground began to shake once more as the roots near the basement began to grow dramatically, creating a net where Mima had stopped everything from falling in.

“I found it!”  They could hear the tiny girl call out.  “I have the seal!”

“Are… are you safe?”  The spectre asked, her exhaustion in a fierce battle with her terror.

“I- I should be!”

“Reimu, get up here-!”

“I believe she is safe, Magister.”  Minoriko nodded.

Mima’s face crumpled as her hand shook violently, slowly lowering to the ground.  The rubble in the pit sagged noticeably, but did not fall. The god of nature let out a sigh of relief before standing.

“Dear?”  She called out, approaching the hole her shrine maiden had slid down.  “Can you get out?”

“U-u-um…!”

“Are you okay?!”  Marisa called out.  “Are you stuck?!”

“I- I’m fine!”  Reimu called back, trying to calm her sister.  “Just… just a tight fit is all, and I’m trying my hardest not to jostle the seal!”

Marisa sighed, brushing her hair out of her face.  “It's a stone disc, Reimu. You don't have to worry about that.”

There was silence from the opening.  Beads of sweat began to line the magician’s brow.

“...R-Reimu?”

“...please call Aunt Mima over here, Marisa.  I think she needs to see this.”

 

Sitting between the collapsed shrine and living quarters, Mima hugged her phylactery, shaking uncontrollably.  Minoriko and Shizuha took stock of their surroundings as Marisa and Reimu sat with the lich, comforting her.

“Mother is on her way.”  Hourai whispered as the shrine maiden of Autumn held her aunt, stroking her hair.

“Thank you, Hourai.”

“Okay, aside from the… issue as it were, things are a little better than we thought.”  Minoriko sighed. “All of the damage seems to be contained as it were; nothing fell over and caused a cascade of trouble, but… we are going to have to find a place to sleep for the night.”

“Wait, Ma- what happened to the refinery?”  Marisa suddenly asked. “It obviously didn’t explode, but…”

The spectre shook her head.  “I built it with a failsafe to eject into the astral plane if anything were to cause catastrophic failure.  Been in place since we lived in the cave.”

_sssSSSF_.

“Yeah, _about that._ ”

The group looked over to see a scowling Komachi, utterly soaked.  Hanging off the curled point of her scythe was a familiar canister, blackened and broken.  With a twitch of her hand, the broken device fell to the ground.

“That’s-”

Eyes wide, Marisa pulled her sister behind her and thrust her focus forward.

“ **VANCIAN SIGN:  SCOURING WINDS!** ”

A terrible windstorm kicked up between Marisa and Komachi, blocking the ferryman’s sight of the displaced residents.  Komachi fell back, coughing.

“Gah!  Marisa, what the fuck?!”

“You are _not_ taking her!”  The magician screamed, reaching into her bag as she directed the magical storm.  She knew it was nearly impossible to keep one who could manipulate distances at bay, but a short delay could buy her the time she needed for a better solution.

“Marisa, I’m off the clock- pteah.”  The ferryman stopped mid-sigh to spit out sand.  “Swear to your two gods and my boss I’m not here to collect anyone.”

The magician went quiet as the storm continued to rage between the two.  Komachi began to sigh once more, only to be thrown into a coughing fit from the sand and dust.

“And if you don’t- don’t believe that,” she hacked, “then keep in mind too many gods favor her being here right now.  Reaping her soul is a lot of paperwork at the moment. You know my feelings on paperwork.”

Silence from the magician continued to reign for a moment before the storm gave way.  The ferryman rubbed her forehead.

“Aaand of course, it takes my apparent laziness for people to believe me…” She muttered to herself as she approached, giving the broken contraption a push with her foot.  “Can’t tell Shiki ‘bout this now, I’ll never hear the end of it…”

“What happened, Miss Komachi?”  Reimu asked as she handed her one of their few recovered towels.

“I was-”  She paused as she looked at herself; the front half of her body was completely caked in dust and sand.  “I was contemplating work, when that thing struck the corner of my boat, sending me flying out of it!”

“Ah- we’re very sorry about that!”  The shrine maiden bowed.

“I was lucky I was so close to shore, you know!  It’s not possible to swim in the Sanzu River after all!”

“Oh…”  Mima blinked, still shaking, “I never adjusted the coordinates when I moved it into the Hakurei Shrine basement.  Sorry, Komachi.”

“So there _was_ an earthquake…”

The group turned to see Alice and Shanghai arrive, floating down next to Komachi.  Marisa’s eye twitched.

“Wait- did you just fucking say you _knew there was going to be an ear-_ ”

“Woah, woah!”  The puppeteer held up a hand.  “I am _still_ trying to fine-tune some of my divination tools for Gensokyo, and weather is one of them!  Do you know how many false-positives I’ve had for earthquakes and floods? I’d be warning you about things every other week!”

Closing her eyes, Marisa held up a hand, shaking slightly.  “Al-alright, fair enough. Sorry, I’m just… very… _upset right now…_ ”

“It’s alright, Marisa.”  She nodded. Her eyes moved to Mima, noticing her condition.  “I’m here to assist, however necessary. Speaking of which…” She glanced at the ferryman.

“Something of theirs dropped in my please don’t touch me like that I’m _not here for work._ ”  Komachi’s voice dropped to a shaky whisper as Alice’s fingers graced the back of the ferryman’s neck.  She glanced at the black-white magician; Marisa nodded.

“Apologies, Miss Onozuka.”  Alice whispered a few words of magic as she took her hand away and walked towards the magicians.  The ferryman found her clothes drying as the sand and dust disappeared. “For what it’s worth, if you were here for that, I do understand it would not be personal.”

Komachi gave her body a shake to rid herself of the chills before giving the puppeteer a lopsided grin.  “Non-lethal force first?”

Alice smiled.  “Exactly. Now…”  She looked at Mima once more, noticing the disc.  “Oh.” Pulling out a piece of scrap paper, the puppeteer quickly jotted a note and handed it to Shanghai.  “Take this to Patchouli immediately.”

Giving a salute, Shanghai flew off towards the Scarlet Devil Mansion.  Alice quickly surveyed the grounds.

“Everything is buried?”

Marisa nodded.  Alice pulled the ribbon on her grimoire.

“Hourai, you and Reimu please sit with Mima for now and activate your shield.  Use as many crystals as you believe you can for reinforcement until I can get a proper shield set around the grounds.”

“Understood.”

As her daughter protected Mima and her phylactery, Alice began to give orders to the others, keeping everyone busy and bolstering their defenses as they waited for response from the Scarlet Devil Mansion.  Soon, a shield of energy surrounded the shrine grounds.

“Alice…” Yukari called out as her gap in spacetime opened next to the puppeteer.  “What’s going on- oh.” The sage youkai looked around the shrine grounds, pulling herself the rest of the way out before sitting on the gap-seat.  “Well then. Do we know who did this?”

The puppeteer shook her head as she pointed towards the torii, creating an entry point in the barrier.  “Not yet, we’ve been rebuilding defenses right now. My best guess is it’s tied to the abnormal weather as of late.  It was hailing in the forest of magic, but here we’ve had intermittent drizzles and sunny weather.”

Komachi leaned on her scythe.  “It was misty on the Sanzu River, which… isn’t abnormal to be honest, but the mist seems to be spilling into Gensokyo as well.”

“Mm, and you decided to check it out, I take it?”  Yukari glanced at the ferryman. “Good thing your workload is so light.”

“It- _no!_  I was… I uh…”  She scratched her chin for a moment before snapping her fingers.  “Oh, that’s right! Their… their magic canister _thing_ hit me and knocked me out of my boat!”

Yukari tilted her head.  “...you mean their bong? You don’t have to hide what it-”

Komachi covered her face and growled.

“At any rate,” the gap youkai sighed, “it seems the weird weather is reaching far and wide…”

“Yeah, it’s pretty much everywhere.”  Suika announced as she reconstituted. “Thanks for opening the door, blondie.”

Alice nodded absentmindedly, receiving and relaying orders to Shanghai.

“It’s all kind of chaotic, too.”  The oni continued on. “No real rhyme or reason as to what weather is where.  It could be a new youkai messing with their powers, or maybe one that can’t control them yet, but if it’s hitting the Sanzu River…”

“It may be something _outside_ of Gensokyo, then.”  Yukari concluded before sighing.  “At any rate-”

“Just _what_ do you think you’re doing, demanding the time of my magician?”  Remilia’s voice called out as she and Patchouli walked under the torii.  Behind them, Sakuya carried her master’s parasol, along with a large rucksack.  “It’s rather _rude_ to just demand things- oh.  Renovations, I see.”

“Sakuya, if you could set the bag down right here…”  Patchouli called as she walked over to Alice. She glanced at the small, opaque shield next to Marisa before turning her attention the two magicians.  “I have brought all books pertaining to soul storage and rare resources I dare bring in one container. I assume Magister Mima is…?”

“Hourai is protecting her for the moment.”  Alice nodded, looking through the supplies. “Well done, well done… oooh, mithril!  Patchouli, I love you.”

“Mm, I fear payment must wait until afterwards, Alice.”  She smiled, raising an eyebrow. “Howev-”

Before she could finish, Marisa hugged her tight.

“...thank you, Patchouli.”  She whispered tearfully. The purple-haired magician awkwardly returned the hug.

“I- ah, it is not a problem, Marisa.  Mima has been a rather wonderful boon to us all, and I believe all of us here owe her a favor or two.”

Alice turned as she felt people enter through the barrier.  Approaching, she could see Reisen and Tewi, carrying their wares.

“Holy shit, everyone alright?”  Reisen called. “I thought it was weird no one seemed to be out looking into this… not anymore, though.”  She looked around at everyone before focusing on the three magicians. “...where’s Reimu?”

“With Mima.”  Alice nodded. “I’m afraid after the quake, her aunt became… dangerously unprotected.  We are attempting to rectify that.”

“And I believe we have all we need in order to work.”  Patchouli nodded. “Hourai, if you could be so kind…”

The small field slowly faded away.  Reimu stood and smiled at the newcomers, keeping a hand on Mima’s shoulder.

“Hello, everyone.”  She bowed. “Thank you for coming to help my family and I.  We greatly appreciate it.”

“Alright,”  Alice looked over everyone present.  “Let’s start.”

Yukari cleared her throat.

“While not to make light of Mima’s condition… if we ignore the incident, we don’t know if worse will occur.”

“Y- Yukari…”  Marisa started at the sage youkai, panic in her eyes.  “I… can’t abandon Ma. I would be dead without her, I- I can’t turn my back on her.”

The puppeteer glanced at Yukari.  “I do agree that something needs to be done, but Marisa does need to stay here.”

“I understand she loves her mother, but-”

“No.”  Alice shook her head.  “No, Yukari, I don’t think you _do_ understand.  We need her here _because_ of those feelings.  Her familial connection to Mima is going to be _required_ to save her.  The seal-” She stopped, eyes moving over those present.  “You know I don’t say such things lightly.” She continued in a quiet tone, taking a step closer.  “But if Marisa leaves, we won’t be able to make progress until she returns… and I think it’s safe to say her mind won’t be on the task at hand.  Not only that, but if this earthquake wasn’t deliberate, and she encounters the one who may have _accidentally_ put her mother in danger…”

Yukari sighed, covering her face.  “Alright, al _right_ … but again, if this _is_ a malicious act…”

“I’ll do it.”

Everyone turned to Reisen, the lunar rabbit had her arm raised.

“Reimu needs an escort that can take her to the problem, protect her from the problem, and possibly-slash-probably turn the problem into a non-threat, correct?”  She asked, looking between the shrine maiden, the local magician, and the sage youkai. Marisa nodded.

“That's right, it's really danger-” she laughed nervously, “well, _you_ know what it's like.”

Avoiding her gaze, the rabbit pulled the magician forward, bumping their foreheads together.

“I’ll protect her like I would Tewi.”  She whispered quietly. Marisa nodded in thanks, not trusting her voice.  Giving her shoulder one last squeeze, Reisen broke away and looked at the others before turning to her companion.

“I’ll stay here.”  The bunny nodded before she could ask.  “I know it’s a lot harder to protect two people at once, and… I think it’s safe to say a little luck wouldn’t hurt, here.”

“Thank you.”  She turned to Reimu.  “You ready?”

“Y-yes, let me get my-”  The shrine maiden turned and looked at the rubble as Hourai landed on her shoulder.  “Oh dear. I um, I don’t have my supply bag.”

“Medical?”

“Yes.”

The rabbit held up her own bag before tossing it to Reimu.  “I’ll gotcha covered; let’s roll.”

 

* * *

 

“Ya know…” Reisen sighed.  “I said I’d protect you like you were Tewi, and yet here I am… guiding you into the afterlife not even an hour later…”

The tiny shrine maiden smiled as they flew up the stairs just past the gate.  After overhearing the conversation of how the incident was affecting areas outside of Gensokyo, she wished to check on her friends to see if they were alright, and if they happened to know anything.

“I think as long as you guide us back out, they’ll be fine with it.”  Hourai grinned. The rabbit chuckled.

“So this is where Youmu and Yuyuko live, eh?”  She asked as the approached Hakugyokurou; Reimu nodded.  “I know I’ve been told she lives here, but… I guess I never gave it much thought before, this being where we go after we die, and all.”

The shrine maiden waved to the gardener as they landed.  Youmu paused in her shoveling, taking in her unexpected guests before giving them a nod.

“Well met, everyone.”  She placed the shovel in the snow as she gave them her full attention.  “I assume you are here about the weather?”

“Y-yes!  Good morning, Miss Youmu!  I’m glad to see you’re well.  How is Lady Saigyouji?”

“She is well, Miss Reimu.  Not that I mind Reisen, but where is your sister?”

The shrine maiden’s smile faltered for a moment.  “She's… assisting Auntie Mima right now. There was an earthquake at the Hakurei Shrine.  The shrine collapsed.”

“Oh!  I'm sorry to hear that, Reimu.  Is there-”

The three turned to the opening door to see Yuyuko.  The tired ghost gave a wave as she floated over, happy for a change in her routine.

“Reimu!  How are you?”  Placing a hand on the shrine maiden’s shoulders, she paused and leaned closer, sniffing the air.  Her look turned serious. “Is your aunt alright, dear?”

She nodded.  “Magisters Alice and Patchouli are currently helping her and Marisa with the… situation, and Miss Reisen is helping with solving the incident.  We wanted to make sure you were okay, as the problem seems to be reaching even Higan.”

“Thank you, dear.  We’ve been alright, just a little snow…”

There was a grunt from Youmu as she noticed the flakes began to fall once more.

“But other than that, there’s been nothing unusual.”  The ghost put a finger to her chin as she thought. “Have you tried talking to Yukari about it?”

“She’s at the shrine; she didn’t seem to know anything about it, other than it was an incident that needed to be solved.”

“I see…”  Yuyuko nodded.

“You could try the crow tengu,” the gardener suggested as she returned to her shoveling.  “She always instigates things around Gensokyo and then some.”

“That’s ‘investigates’, dear.”

“I know what I said, Master.”

“Thank you for the suggestion, Miss Youmu!”  Reimu bowed. “We shall look into th-”

“Wait, dear…”  The ghost princess moved over to the shrine maiden once more, her voice low.  “I realize this isn’t a subject you wish to discuss, but would you like me to go to the shrine, in case… the worst happens?”

“O-oh.  Well,” she smiled wistfully, “Miss Onozuka is there currently.  While she’s… ‘off the clock’, as she puts it, I know she’d still do what was needed if… if she needed to.”

“Alright, then.”  Yuyuko smiled as she pat the shrine maiden on the head.

“Th-that said, I’m sure Lady Yukari wouldn’t mind your company, and I’m sure Miss Sakuya would like to see Miss Youmu as well!”

“Oh my~ well, I wouldn’t want Yukari getting sad now, now would I, Youmu?”

“That’d… that’d be a shame, yes.”  Youmu nodded, sighing.

“At any rate, I’ll see you two back at the shrine, then!”  Reimu waved and smiled as they prepared to leave. “Thank you for the help, I’m glad you’re okay!”

 

* * *

 

“Gah!”  Patchouli flinched as the spellform let out a burst of light, letting them know it failed upon start.  Letting out an irritated sigh, the magician youkai peered at the runes once more. “This will _not_ work.”

As the magicians huddled around a cleared away section, the gods and visitors busied themselves with cleaning up the collapsed buildings, sorting out what could be recovered, what materials could still be used in reconstruction, and what needed to be replaced.

Close to the magicians sat Mima and Tewi.  The spirit’s shaking had subsided, but she continued to clutch her phylactery with a look of dread.  The bunny remained quiet, keeping her attention on the mages and their moods.

“I… I told you to change that part…”  Marisa murmured as she looked at the glowing spellform once more.  

“Yes, you did.”  Patchouli acknowledged, redirecting her frown.  “ _I_ told you it will not work like that; the flow would be completely wrong.”

“Just- fucking… listen to me for once.”  The black-white magician sighed, scattering the flawed portion of the pattern with her hand.  The librarian began to sputter as Alice pulled her back. “I know you guys hate doing that, but…”

The section crudely redrawn, Marisa leaned back and motioned to Patchouli.  Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, the magician youkai initiated the test once more.  Her eyes went wide in disbelief as the spellform started correctly, despite leaking necrotic energies.

“See?  I mean, yeah, I need to smooth out the lines a bit, but-”

“That should not work.”  Patchouli stated, staring at the recurring pattern.  “How- that cannot funct-” She gripped her temples and sighed, angered by the defiant spellform.  “Marisa, stop shitting on established laws of magic.”

Alice hid her smile with a hand as Marisa shrugged.

“Stop leaving your laws of magic where I shit.”

Tewi shook her head and sighed.  She glanced at the phylactery in Mima’s hands; the large stone disc was covered in seals which bore the symbol of the Hakurei clan.  The seals had parts cut away to form another design on top of the runes carved into the surface. Here and there, various patterns and designs running over the entire disc would glow for a few moments before returning to normal.  Running down the entire length of the disc was a massive crack, nearly breaking it in two.

“...I’m going to have to drop the protective wards on this for it to be fixed.”  Mima whispered as she watch her daughter bicker with their friend from the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

“Yeah?”  The bunny responded, unsure what prompted the conversation.

“...it’d be your best chance.”  She continued on. “If you wish to rid the world of me.”

Tewi kept her face neutral, unsure of who may be listening or watching.  “Is… is that what you want?”

Mima shook her head lightly.  “No. But… out of everyone who wants me dead… your reasons I wouldn’t fault.”

Falling silent once more, the two continued to watch the magicians work.

 

* * *

 

“Good morning, Miss Shameimaru.”  Reimu bowed as the three stopped in front of the crow tengu.  Aya took out her notebook as she donned her professional smile.  “How are you today? Did the earthquake cause any damage to the tengu?”

“Ah, Miss Hakurei!  And the young Miss Inaba as well!”  She gave a polite nod to the two. “We’re fine up here; the tengu and kappa both have protection for such things.  How did you fare?”

“There was some damage, but it’s being taken care of.”

Aya took the shrine maiden in, smiling slightly.

“I see, I see… and where is Miss Kiri-”  Her eyes darting down to her notebook, she quickly ripped a page out, letting the tempest spirit the page away.  “And where is your sister right now? I thought she always accompanied you on your missions, doesn’t she?”

“O-oh!  W-well-”  Reimu began to fidget as Aya came closer; the lunar rabbit moved closer to the shrine maiden’s side.

“I mean, if she’s not here, then the damage to the shrine must have been pretty bad…”  The reporter paused as she noticed the doll motion her closer. Hourai let out a sigh as she tengu moved in.

“Look…” she kept her voice low, “there’s an aetheric refinery under the shrine that was… well, let’s say it was ‘negatively affected’ by the tremors.  Marisa’s helping Mima with containment. So long as she’s there, it won’t be bad, understand?”

“Aaah, I see, I see…”

“The kid doesn’t like talking about it ‘cause people tend to worry about words like ‘refinery’ and ‘possible catastrophic failure’, you know?”  The doll leaned back and shrugged. “Besides, even without her sister, it’s not like she’s travelling alone. We have Reisen with us, and we all know what she’d do to anyone who tried to make the kid feel distressed… don’t we?”

The crow tengu reflexively glanced towards the lunar rabbit; she averted her eyes as Reisen’s thousand yard stare began to mess with her vision.

“That- that’s very true, Miss Hourai.”  Aya nodded, her professional smile still showing.  “I… suppose it would be best to gather information about the shrine at the party later… once the incident is complete.”

“Hey… I knew you’re an officer for a reason!”  Hourai smiled. Aya sighed lightly.

“At any rate, if you’re not here to share juicy information on this incident-”

“S-sorry!”

“-then I guess you’re here about the Divine Messenger?”

The three blinked back in response.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’, then.”

“I wasn’t aware of a Divine Messenger in Gensokyo, Miss Shameimaru.”  Reimu informed her. “Are they of the tengu?”

Aya chuckled.  “No no, Miss Reimu.  That’s what we call the oarfish youkai; they’re messengers of the dragon god, up in the Heavens.”  She pointed up to the roiling red clouds above. “They deliver messages about the troublesome weather.”

“Like this tempest that’s persisting around the mountain up here?”  Hourai asked.

“The tempest, the mist, the hail, the earthquake, the-”

“Um.”  Reisen blinked.  “Did- did you just describe a quake as ‘troublesome weather’ just now?  Did I hear that right?”

The tengu grinned sheepishly.  “Well, that’s what _they_ consider it.”

Hourai’s gazed moved from the clouds above to Aya.  “So… you _knew_ there was going to be an earthquake, then?”

“It was pretty clear from here, yeah.  Actually, it looks like there-”

“I have good news, Aya.”  Hourai smiled. “We _do_ have information to share with you.”

“Really?”  The tengu smiled.  “What is it?”

Reimu leaned in close.  “Your knowledge of the earthquake would be best kept as a secret for awhile, Miss Aya.  My sister would be rather um… unhappy. In your direction. I um… I don’t think I would be able to stop her, either.”

Aya blinked before grinning.  “I ah, appreciate the advice, Miss Reimu.  I believe it's safe to say you're going to investigate the Divine Messenger, then?”

“That's correct, Miss Aya.  If they're messengers, then we should heed their words.”

“Well then, take care, kids!  Good luck!”

 

* * *

 

“This!  This right here is _exactly_ what I am talking about, Marisa!”  Patchouli growled as the black-white magician continued to build the spellform.  “I have no idea what school you are even using here! You need to collaborate with your peers _before_ emergencies occur, so they may be able to work around your… your… your eccentricities!”

“I've invited you over for collabs before, Patche.” Marisa murmured as the librarian created the second layer of the holographic seal.  “And Alice is keepin’ up just fine.”

“I am still not convinced that Shanghai is not acting as a secret interpreter for her.”

“At any rate… I hope you've been keeping up better than you've been letting on, ‘cause I'm not going to be of much help in a bit.”  The magician waved her mother over. “But on the plus side, you'll have my teacher.”

Tewi looked over at the lich.  “What…?”

“In order for them to work on my seal, I need to be ‘out’ of it.”  Mima explained quietly, turning to Tewi. “My daughter will hold my soul.  She… won’t be able to respond while my seal is vulnerable.”

“...ah.”  The bunny turned back to the magician’s work, watching as Mima set the seal in the middle of their spell matrix.

“...I’m sorry I need to do this to you in order to survive.”  She whispered in her daughter’s ear.

“Don’t be.”  Marisa glanced over her shoulder, a tired smile on her face.  “You’re worth it. You saved my life and helped make my dreams come true.  There’s no one else out there who could be a better mother for me than you.  I love you.”

“...I… I love you as well.”

The magician straightened her back as she faced forward once more.  “If it helps, don’t think of it as taking my freedom, but the last lesson on how to break free of possession.”  She closed her eyes. “And in order to learn that, I need to know what it feels like.”

“Step down process of Outer Ring of wards is complete.”  Alice announced.

Marisa breathed in.

“Step down process of Middle Ring of wards is complete.”

The air’s humidity began to bead on her skin as she calmly exhaled.

“Step down process of the Inner Ring of wards is complete.  Outer emergency shield has been reinforced; the shrine is now sealed off.”

The magician’s mind slid between the cracks of consciousness and unconsciousness.

“Step down process of Ring Zero of wards is complete.  The phylactery… is now ready to be emptied.”

The spectre disappeared from behind the magician as she breathed in.

Patchouli and Alice turned to their friend, still holding her breath.

She exhaled forcefully before taking a deep breath.

Emerald eyes greeted them.

“Alright…”  Marisa leaned forward, taking in the spellform floating above the empty seal.  Her eyes narrowed as her lips curled into a grin, a look her mother had worn many, many times before.  “Well done, kids… well done.”

Patchouli flinched as the possessed magician waved a hand, taking control of the form herself and brought it closer.

“Can you feel your limbs?”  She asked aloud. “Not what you’re trying to make them do, but what they’re actually doing?”

She studied their work closer as she listened to the silent response.

“Good.  Now, what I want you to do is feel this.  This will be a preview on your next lesson in arcane matrices… you’re ready for it.  Watch what I do, and feel how I do it….” Enlarging the spellform, she began to alter the runes further.  “If you can do that, you’ll start to develop the mental infrastructure for it before your first proper lesson…”

As the mages stared in fascination of Mima’s work, the others began making excited noises, finding undamaged supplies in the lower end of the basement.

All alone, unobserved, Tewi looked at the nearly cracked seal.

Her jaw set.

 

* * *

 

“The shrine has been closed off.”  Hourai informed the other two. “For now, we’re on our own.”

“What happened?”  The rabbit asked.

“I think they’re getting ready to move Mima.”  The shrine maiden answered. “They don’t want anyone getting in while she’s in danger.”

“Ah, okay.  Hey uh,” Reisen started as they made their way through the clouds, “I know you don’t move with your sister’s gait, but you can be pretty quiet, right?”

“Oh, am I being too noisy?”  Reimu asked, keeping her voice low.

“No no, I was thinking it would be good if we can do a little recon or maybe sneak up on whoever is causing this.”

“Oh!  Well, I think I can be quiet enough for that.”

“Arright, then-”

“U-unless, of course, it looks like someone is about to get hurt with say, a blackjack, or the butt of a broom or a gun.  Th-then I might get a little panicky.”

The rabbit covered her face as she shook with quiet laughter.

“Your sister has taken out targets of opportunity before, hasn’t she?”  Reisen asked as she slowly lowered her hands.

Reimu nodded as the doll grinned.  “It’s… it’s happened before, yes.”

“Alright, as long as whoever’s doing this isn’t… you know, kicking puppies or orphans, I’ll let you talk to them first, okay?”

Taking her hand, the shrine maiden nodded.  Lifting the girl into her arms, Reisen took off.  Hourai had trouble keeping up with her own senses as they moved as one, making no noise.  She could see the commander cover Reimu’s mouth as they zipped through certain areas, making sure a gasp or cough would not give them away.

With a motion of her hand, Reimu and Hourai could see who the rabbit was tailing; a woman with short violet-blue hair moved along through the clouds, glancing around as she went.  The beautiful shawl floating over her shoulders and the antenna from her black hat informed the rabbit of her standing as the Dragon God’s divine messenger.

Reimu glanced up at her friend; Reisen shook her head, wanting to find out where the woman was going.

As the oarfish broke through the clouds, the lunar rabbit continued to drift near the ceiling of the cloudbank, keeping an eye on her while staying hidden.  Glancing down to make sure Reimu was not having trouble breathing, Reisen dashed up, gripping the unusually solid clouds the messenger had set foot on. Hearing the steps start to fade, she brought herself up top, keeping low to remain out of sight.

Off in the distance, they could see the woman approach a blue-haired girl with a white top and blue skirt, framed with a rainbow streamer.  The girl’s face lit up as she began to chatter with the messenger.

“The way she’s talking to the oarfish,” Reisen whispered as she set the shrine maiden down, “I think we have our person.  Doing alright? Need an oxypill to breathe?”

Reimu smiled and shook her head.

“Arright, well if we’re not going to use knockout gas on them to take them to our turf, then let’s see what their deal is.”  She took the girl by the hand wand began to quietly approach.  “Come on.”

“Oh man, it’s going to be super cool, Iku!”  The blue-haired girl grinned excitedly and she bounced around.  “I bet they’re going to be here soon, and we’ll have a super cool fight, and-”

Standing a few yards away, Reisen cleared her throat.  The two flinched before quickly turning around.

As the blue-haired girl took a breath to say something, she paused as she looked at Reisen.  Despite the fact her smile remained, the commander could see a spark of recognition and disappointment in her eyes.

“Oh… I ah… wasn’t expecting a lunarian emissary today; my apologies.”  She stated politely, giving a nod. “My fa- Lord Nai is likely busy today, but I can direct you to one of his aides if you-”

“Yeah, no.”  Reisen cut her off and pointed at the shrine maiden, “Fuck the moon, I’m here on behalf of her.”

“Oh!”  She could see some of the excitement return.  “Well!” She suddenly gasped. “Wait, you’re the rabbit from Gensokyo!”

“Yes, I-”

“Awesome!”  She pumped her fist; the one she referred to as Iku touched her ear and looked away, communicating with someone unseen.  “Shit, you didn’t-” The girl shook her head.  “Fuck it, she’s not the mage, but I’ll just stick with it- Yes, it is I!”  She suddenly called out with tremendous volume, posing imperiously.  “The one who caused the earthquake!”

Grabbing a hilt tucked into her belt and holding it high, a blade of fire sprang forth.  “I am Tenshi Hinanawi, celestial of the Highest Heaven! I see you managed to defe- er, _bypass_ my greatest ally to find me!”

The three stared at Tenshi.

Reisen coughed politely.

“I… think this three-ring circus is your thing, Reimu…”  The lunar rabbit sighed. Stepping forward, the shrine maiden bowed.

“G-good day, Lady Hinanawi!”  She smiled. “My name is Reimu Hakurei, and I’m the shrine maiden of the Aki Divinities!  This is my dear friend, Reisen Inaba! We would like to know why you knocked down my shrine.  It almost ki-” Reimu paused as Hourai looked at her, shaking her head. “It- it has caused my family a great deal of distress, I’m afraid.”

“Did- did that doll just-”

“Yeah, Hourai Doll, Reimu’s guardian.”  She announced herself roughly.

“Holy crap, a talking doll!”  Tenshi shook her head. “Er, I mean- you fool!  I-”

“Don’t be rude to her, asshole!”  The doll interrupted, scowling.

“That… _was_ a bit uncalled for, eldest daughter.”  Iku whispered.  “‘Though the doll was worse…”

Tenshi sighed, her shoulders slumping.  “Ugh, I’m so flustered…!”

“Just take it easy now, you can do this!”

The three watched as she psyched herself up before donning her mask once more.  “Ah ha ha! If you wish to know the answers of such questions, you must first defeat me!”

“Why?”

Tenshi blinked at the shrine maiden’s question.

“W-well,”  she idly waved her sword of fire to the side.  “I mean, that’s how things are done!” She stated before scratching her chin.  “...right?”

“We- we do have to resort to violence sometimes,” Reimu admitted.  “I really don’t like when we have to, but-”

“There then, see!”

“-b-but it’s not strictly a rule or anything!”  She hastily concluded.

The celestial slowly turned to Iku.  The envoy shrugged, looking chagrined.  “I believe I _did_ warn you of that possibility, Tenshi. ”

“No no, you did, you did…”  Tenshi nodded, clearly at a loss.  “We just need to… shit, I didn’t expect this!”

“Did- did you seriously knock down Reimu’s house to start a fight?!”  Hourai called, growing angrier by the second.

“Um…!”  She grinned sheepishly.  “I mean, maybe? I thought-!”

“You dipshit!”  The doll leaned forward as Reimu placed a hand on her legs, holding her in place.  “You could have killed her!”

“No!  No!” She shook her head, holding out a hand.  “I waited until everyone was out of the house, I was just- I just wanted to give you a scare!”

“Lady Hinanawi, you almost-”

“Don’t-!”  The doll hissed.  Reimu shook her head.

“You gravely injured my aunt with that attack.”

“N-no, I had Iku- I had someone run predictions so- so no one… would be hurt…”  While her words were to the contrary, her wavering tone and the growing look of concern on her face revealed her doubt.

“All living things should have been out of the shrine,”  Iku nodded, “we even waited for the robotic maid to be outside.”

“Don’t tell her, they might have been targeting her!”  The doll continued to warn.  Reimu remained quiet as she looked at the two.

“My aunt is… she’s a type of spirit.”  She finally hedged. “Her phylactery was in the shrine.  When it collapsed, a piece of rubble cracked it.”

The blade flickered from an unseen wind.  Iku’s eyes went wide.

“Iku, what’s a phylactery?”  The celestial asked in a quivering tone.

“It’s… where nonliving types hide their souls, to remain on the prime planes.”  Iku dry wiped her mouth. “I… I did not think to search for such things.”

The blade whipped about violently before extinguishing.

“God on High, I killed someone.”  She whispered as she fell to her knees, utterly horrified.  “I- I-”

“Sh- she’s not dead yet!”  Reimu hurried over to the celestial, ignoring Hourai’s warning growl.  “Well, I mean, she’s a spirit, but she’s still-!” She shook her head. “A-anyway, that’s why my sister isn’t here, Lady Hinanawi.  She’s having to help my Auntie- my aunt. Her, and some of my other friends.”

Still shaking, Tenshi looked at the shrine maiden who kneeled next to her.  “Is- is she going to…?”

She smiled softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.  “Unless something really unexpected happens, I think she should recover.”

The celestial nodded, her eyes glossy.  “I’m… I’m sorry, Miss Hakurei.”

Feeling the chance for combat had passed, Reisen calmly approached as Iku sat next to her charge.  The shrine maiden kept her hand on Tenshi’s shoulder, providing a lifeline of calming comfort for the celestial.

“Do you mind telling me why you did that?”  Reimu asked once more. Tenshi nodded.

“I… I’ve been watching Gensokyo for awhile.  It gets boring up here, so it was something to do.  After awhile, I…” She shrugged, “I wanted to join in the fun.  I mean, I know it gets dangerous, of course. I can’t always see the fights, but I’ve seen how you guys sometimes look afterwards.  But… I know the spell card system you guys have can help prevent really nasty stuff from happening.”

Hourai began to open her mouth to retort before pausing and sighing.

“I just thought- I- I’m sorry.”  the celestial sniffed. “I’ll make sure someone gets down to your shrine to repair it.  I was- I was planning to after the fight, so it wouldn’t be… be…”

“I contacted them when they arrived, dear.”  Iku whispered. “They’ve already sent a team down, they know they’re going into a crowd of people not expecting them as well.”

“Thank you Iku.”  She smiled tearfully at her guardian.  “I’m sorry for getting you in trouble with this, too.”

“So basically, this is all ‘cause you wanted to fight someone, right?”  Reisen asked, standing at ease behind the shrine maiden. “Don’t you have trainers or others who could do that for you here?  Or are they not a challenge for you?”

“I- I thought…”  She paused, averting her gaze.

“It’s okay, Lady Hinanawi.”  Reimu whispered, rubbing her back.  She gave the shrine maiden a pleading look.

“Just- just Tenshi, please.  ‘Lady Hinanawi’ will always be my mother to me.”

Reimu smiled.  “My sister always says the same thing.”

“Well, a little rougher than that, but yeah.”  The doll mused.

“But no, there’s not really anyone up here who’s willing to do that with me.  Partly because of my position, but a lot of it…” Tenshi shook her head. “It’s- I’m sorry, I can’t- I can’t- it’s hard to describe.  It’s just-”

“Politics and drama?”  Hourai asked. She leaned back as the celestial nodded.  “Yeah, that sounds like Heaven…”

“I was just hoping after, I could… you know, have some friends and somewhere to visit.  I didn’t mean to put your family-” She pulled her knees up, hiding her face. “I’m sorry, Miss Hakurei.”

“I’ll be your friend, Miss Tenshi.”

The celestial poked her face back up, looking at Reimu.  The shrine maiden gave her a bright smile.

“You could come back to Gensokyo with us, if you’d like!”

“...r… really?”

“Yeah!”  Her eyes shined as she held out her arms.  “You want to come with us? Once we get back and Auntie is better, we’re bound to have a party!”

“I’d… I’d like that.”  The celestial nodded, sniffing her nose.

“Then it’s settled!”  Making her move, Reimu embraced the celestial with all her might.  Tenshi slowly smiled, unable to hold back her tears any longer.

“Th- thank you… Reimu.”

 

* * *

 

Afterwards

 

“Hey.”  Suika called out.  Yukari glanced up at the small oni.

“What is it, Suika?”

“Someone’s at the uh…” she scratched her head, looking to the side, “well, it’s not a door anymore, but it’s where one used to be.”

“Alice has direct control of the shield, not I.”  Yukari turned her attention back to the cleared out basement and blank foundation.  While it had taken more work to keep everyone on task than the project itself, the cleaning was complete and everything sorted.

Suika broke away from her gourd.  “You know my stance on quiet mages, and the whole lot of ‘em just got _real quiet._  So I’m comin’ to _you,_ ‘cause _you_ have a workaround.”

Letting out an annoyed groan, the sage youkai opened a hole in space time, popping her upper half out near the torii.  Standing at the entrance were half a dozen people in coveralls and hardhats, all holding tool boxes. Yukari sniffed the air before pulling back.

“Celestials.”  She stated, narrowing her eyes.  “What do you need?”

“Hello!”  What Yukari assumed to be the foreman stepped forward while the others stepped back.  “We are from Heaven’s Construction Branch. We were contacted by the Hinanawi Clan to reconstruct a shrine, one which had been damaged by a recent quake.”  The woman opened a scroll, showing the sage youkai. “This is the… Hakurei Shrine?”

“Yes,” Yukari sighed, “I’m sorry, we’ve had no contact with _anyone_ in the Heavens… what exactly prompted this?”

“Unfortunately, the answer to that was not shared with me…” Unfurling the scroll further, the foreman removed the invoice tucked in and shared it with the sage.  “All I can tell you is the service was paid for in advance, and we’ve been on standby since this morning. We were tapped just a few minutes ago to come here. Are the shrine grounds not ready for reconstruction?”

Staying silent, Yukari’s eyes swept over those present; she could feel no gaps between what she was told, and what she felt from the workers.

“It’s ready, but-”

“No- _no-_ _no-NO-_ _NO-_ ** _NO!_** ”

Yukari snapped her head back inside the bubble.  The sound of stone shattering rang throughout the shrine grounds.

 

* * *

 

As the five of them reentered Gensokyo, Reimu had told the celestial about the ones visiting the shrine.  At first, Reisen had paid their conversation no heed as she watched their surroundings, until she began to pick up the undertones of her message.  While the tiny shrine maiden was indeed giving Tenshi a good summary of everyone they remembered being there, she was also giving her a heads up on how to deal with those who may tease her.

After Reimu gave her advice, Tenshi began to touch on her life in the Heavens, and how she became a celestial.

“So,” Reisen sighed, carrying the shrine maiden, “you ascended with your clan, but since _you_ didn’t do the deed that earned your clan that, everyone’s just kind of a catty bitch to you?”

Tenshi nodded from her keystone.  “That’s… more or less how it is, yeah.”  She glanced over at the envoy and smiled.  “But Iku’s always been super nice to me ‘cause she’s awesome!”

The oarfish grinned through her blush.  “Thank you, dear.”

“And, as I said, people sometimes get like that here,” The shrine maiden admitted, “but they’re usually not, um-”

“People can be assholes, but they’re usually playin’ around for the most part.”  Hourai finished for her. “They mostly act like they to people who act that way _back_ though.  Bit of a game to them, I guess.”

“Th-that does seem to be the case.”  Reimu nodded. “I’ve asked Lady Remilia about it once… she said-”

“Do the voice.”  The doll grinned.

“U-um-!”  The shrine maiden of Autumn began to blush.

“She does a good Remilia impersonation.”  Reisen grinned. “Do the voice, Reimu!”

“Sh-she said ‘It’s a game for the higher borne, to keep one’s mind sharp and engaged.’”

“I see…”  Tenshi grinned as the shrine maiden’s two companions chuckled.  “So basically if they act that way, just try not to react to it, and they’ll knock it off?”

“For the most part.”  Hourai shrugged. “I mean… some people are just jerks, you know?”

“Hourai!”  Reimu gasped.

“What?!  Am I wrong?”

“Yes!”

“Bah!”

Reimu turned her attention back to Tenshi.  “A-at any rate, some people _do_ act that way to start spell card battles, but remember it’s okay to simply ask if someone would like to spar as well!  And don’t be afraid to stop by and ask Marisa or myself about anyone you’re thinking of challenging, so you don’t over or under prepare.”

The celestial nodded as she considered the advice.  “Yeah, I guess I should know if I need to bring my A game right away, or if I should be treating the opening as a warm-up…”

“You can always count on there being a few fairies looking to fight,” Reisen commented, “but more often than not, they’ll trip over their own feet as the battle starts.”

As their conversation continued on, Hourai put a hand to her ear.

“Hm…” She began to frown.  Reimu turned her attention to her guardian.

“What’s wrong?”

“The shrine’s still sealed off;” she murmured, “I can’t get a hold of Mother.”

“How difficult is it to uh…” Reisen paused for a moment.  “To do… whatever the hell it is they’re doing?”

The doll shook her head.  “It’s not easy work. I couldn’t say _how_ difficult, but uh… it’s fuckin’ hard.”

“That might be why, then.”  The rabbit reasoned. “Still though.  Everyone on guard, just in case.”

Landing near the top of the steps, Reimu placed a hand on the barrier.  A gap opened next to them as Yukari popped out, resting her elbows on the edge.  She gave the shrine maiden a nod before taking the other two in, sniffing the air.

“A celestial.”  She sighed. “Of course.”

“Lady Yakumo,” Reimu bowed from the arms of the rabbit, “this is Miss Tenshi Hinanawi, celestial of the Highest Heaven-”

“God on High, she remembered that- er, hello there!”  She gave a polite wave, blushing.

“-and this is Miss Iku Nagae, envoy of the Dragon God!”

“Lady.”  The oarfish bowed.

“Miss Tenshi, Miss Nagae, this is Lady Yukari Yakumo, one of Gensokyo’s sages!  She’s very nice!”

Yukari and Hourai gave the shrine maiden of Autumn a flat stare; Reisen glanced away.

“W-what?”

The sage youkai pinched the bridge of her nose.  “...nothing, dear.”

“So uh…” Reisen cleared her throat.  “Can we get inside, or are things Not Good for extra people right now?”

“Well… can’t get any worse.”  She muttered, opening the gap wider.

“Stop tempting Fate, please.”  Hourai sighed.

“I’ll taunt Remilia as much as I desire.”  She responded as the group entered.

Stepping on the other side, they found themselves in the middle of the grounds.  Where the shrine once was, a group of workers toiled away at reconstructing the shrine, most of the framework complete.

Looking to where they last saw the magicians setting up shop, soot and scorch marks lined the area, along with other signs of elemental distress.  As the visitors took in the condition of the grounds, Reisen spotted the three magicians.

“We’re back!”  Reimu called out as they approached.  The three turned to face them; exhaustion was apparent on all their faces.  Marisa smiled weakly as she ruffled her sister’s hair, her gold eyes taking the girl in.  As the shrine maiden was lowered to the ground, she hugged her sister before looking around.  “Where’s Auntie?”

Reisen’s eyes swept the shrine grounds before returning to the magicians.  “Where’s Tewi?”

“Hey kids,” The lich appeared next to Reimu, causing the two visitors to jump, “take care of the problem?”

Having recovered from her shock, Iku did her best not to stare at the lich as she put a hand on Tenshi’s shoulder, pulling her close.

“Auntie, you’re better!”  Reimu latched onto her as Tewi rounded the corner, taking Reisen’s hand.  “Wait a minute!” The shrine maiden exclaimed, taking a closer look. “You’re all scuffed up!  Mari-” She looked at her sister and paused. “W-wait! You’re scuffed up, too! What happened?”

Mima grinned as the three magicians glared at her.

“It’s… not something for company, I’m afraid.”  She gave the girl a wink. “I’ll tell you later, we’ll have a laugh about it.”

“Not even Miss Onozuka is capable of generating a great enough distance for me to consider cachinnating about _that_ experience.”  Patchouli muttered.

“So!”  Mima beamed at her niece.  “These the troublemakers?”

“Oh!”  Reimu held out her hand.  “This is Miss Tenshi Hinanawi, celestial of the Highest Heaven-”

Her blush having grown since the last time she had been called that, Tenshi bowed.

“-and this is Miss Iku Nagae, envoy of the Dragon God!”  Turning as the oarfish bowed, she held her hand out to the Gensokyo citizens.

“Miss Tenshi, Miss Nagae, these are Magisters Patchouli Knowledge of the Scarlet Devil Mansion; Alice Margatroid, a dear friend of mine; my sister Marisa Kirisame, and my Auntie Mima!  They’re all very good friends to me!”

“H-hello!”  Tenshi bowed before looking up at Mima.  “U-um-”

“A celestial and an oarfish, eh?”  The lich scratched her chin, peering at the two.  “Bet Yukari’s pissed, heh!”

Fidgeting with her hemline, the celestial flinched as Reimu took her hand.  The shrine maiden gave her a calm smile and nodded. Tenshi turned back to Mima once more.

“M-Miss- er!  Sorry, Magister Mima?”  She called out once more; the spectre turned in her direction.  “I wished to apologize to you for the earthquake this morning. I- I didn’t know about your- your… I didn’t know it would endanger you like that.  I’m- I’m sorry.”

Mima stared at her, saying nothing.  Reaching to lift the celestial’s chin, her eyes moved to Iku as the envoy readied herself to pull Tenshi out of harm’s way.  Smiling, she instead turned around.

“Come on, kids…” she called motioning them to follow, “I can smell Sakuya’s cooking, and I know my niece needs a meal… along with these three.  We can talk while we eat.”

“She didn’t yell,” Reimu whispered to Tenshi, standing on her tiptoes, “that’s a good sign!”

“O-oh!”  Tenshi let out a sigh of relief, “okay, thanks!”

“You _can_ expect some yelling,though.” Reisen chimed in as they began to walk.  “That’s just how things go around here.”

“Yeah, I think Shizuha’s still a little irked.”  Marisa commented with a small smile. “But the new place is lookin’ good, at least.”

 

* * *

 

As those at the shrine became drawn to the smell of food, Reimu introduced everyone to the newcomers and thanked them for their help.  The Aki sisters continued to work with the construction crew as the party began, bringing stories and spell card battles around the foot of the mountain.  As Tenshi and Youmu crossed swords, Mima and Reimu watched from below.

“So what’s your take on ‘em?”  The spirit asked.

“They’re very nice.”  The girl smiled. “I feel that Miss Tenshi is… not exactly treated as she should be at home.”

Mima grunted.  “Heaven’s a place of Law; things that don’t fit in just right tend to be singled out and ‘dealt with,’ until they fall in line like obedient little followers of their overlord.”  They watched the fight for a little longer. “So… they didn’t know I was here, then?”

“No.  They said they had looked for lifesigns in the shrine when she initiated the earthquake.  But…” She frowned slightly. “They _did_ know about Ruukoto, though.  I don’t know how they missed you if they’ve been watching for awhile.”

A smile slowly spread across the lich’s face.  “No, it makes sense to me… my phylactery is pretty scry-proof; they probably have never _seen_ me at all in any of their observations from the Heavens.”

“Ah!”  The concern vanished from her face.  “That’s understandable, then.”

“Guess my protection almost did me in this time, heh…”

“You’re actually going to allow her here, aren’t you?”  Yukari sighed, popping in next to the two of them. “Celestials.  In my Gensokyo.”

“It’s more likely than you once thought.” The lich mused with a smirk.  As Tenshi and Youmu tried to overpower one another with their locked blades, the gardener brought her wakizashi in from the side.  Seeing the blur of motion, Tenshi grabbed the blade with her free hand.

“Uh.”  Both combatants paused.  Yukari gripped her temples and sighed.

“Wow!”  Reimu’s eyebrows went up.  Mima nodded to herself.

“Yeah, celestials are a hardy bunch, much like youkai.”

“I- I think that’s your win, Miss Konpaku.”  The celestial grinned sheepishly, releasing the blade.  “Damn, still not used to fighting against two weapon style; that was fun!”

As Remilia sauntered up to take Youmu’s place, Reimu turned to the sage youkai.  “So why don’t you like celestials, Lady Yukari?”

“They-”

“-seduced her girlfriend once, long ago.”

Reimu tapped her fingertips together nervously as Yukari glared at the grinning spirit.

“Gave her a _way_ better time than Yukari could ever hope to.”  Mima continued on. “She never quite got over it.”

“Are you finished?”

“For now.”

The sage youkai sighed.

“Let me think of a way you could parse this, Reimu…” Yukari went quiet for a moment as Remilia and Tenshi took their battle to the skies.  “Alright, your… ‘friend’ in Makai-”

“That’s actually her friend, jackass; don’t think we didn’t hear that pause-”

The sage continued on through the spirit’s interruption.  “-Grand Divinity Shinki. You have a clear picture of her, yes?”

“Yeah!  She’s really nice!”

“Imagine her, with the level of power she has… _without_ her compassion or kindness.”

The shrine maiden’s smile started to fade.

“ _That_ is who the Heavens follow.”  The sage youkai continued to watch the battle.  “And I have a hard time trusting any who devote themselves to such an entity.  With celestials here, it’s only a matter of time before those On High turn their attention here… and if they were to mobilize the Third Choir against us… well, it won’t end well.  Not for us.”

The group was quiet as they continued to watch the battle.  The two landed on the ground after striking one another with a cross-counter.

“...while caution should always be exercised, we must never allow ourselves to be ruled by fear.”  Reimu whispered, watching the theatrical taunting between the highborne and the Highest of the High.  “Gensokyo is a haven for those who don’t fit in, and that makes the place ideal for Miss Tenshi.”

Yukari made a disapproving noise.

“You’ve been learning too much from Mima.”

“I’d argue I haven’t learned enough.”  The shrine maiden of Autumn glanced up at the sage youkai.  “Lady Yukari, I know you’ve said that’s not what Gensokyo’s original purpose was, but much of what helped Gensokyo run how it once was has been lost… such as the original god of this shrine.  The Aki Divinities have helped tremendously in giving me the strength to maintain the Hakurei Border, but Gensokyo still needs to adapt for its survival… and it must survive, for the sake of everyone here, in the town, and in the land.”

“Hm, an interesting take, but-”  Yukari suddenly paused as the foreman approached Tenshi, done with her match against Remilia.  After exchanging unheard words, the celestial clapped her hands together and the two turned their attention skyward; a keystone descended from the heavens, stopping a few feet above the ground.  Taking the stone in hand, Tenshi handed to the foreman and bowed. The sage’s face darkened as she bared her teeth.

“...you _wretched little-_ ”  Yukari disappeared into the gap; Mima grabbed her niece.

“Come on,”  She grunted, zipping over to the shrine, “I don’t like the looks of this.”

In front of the mostly reconstructed shrine, the foreman continued to back away from the angry sage.

“-if you think you can try and convert this shrine-!”  Yukari growled at the woman. Tenshi and Iku hurried over, taking protective stances in front of the foreman.

“What’s wrong?”  Reimu asked as the gods and her sister moved in front of the growing crowd.  Yukari continued to advance.

“ _The shrine maiden asked you a question, Yukari._ ”  Marisa stated, her voice cutting through all noise.  The sage redirected her glare.

“The Hinanawi Clan have their own shrines.”  Yukari sneered. “ _That’s_ what’s being built here.  The keystone tipped me off.”

“Th- those were the plans we were given!”  The foreman exclaimed. “We weren’t told of a special make!”

“D-does it matter?”  Tenshi asked, still standing defensively in front of the worker.  “The keystone will help protect against earthquakes, and Divinity Shizuha and Minoriko should still be able to gath-”

The sage turned back towards Tenshi.  “What _matters_ is it gives _your family_ a foothold in _my land_.  I’m not about to let that happen!”

Before Yukari could approach further, Reimu darted between the two, holding her hands out to keep both parties at bay.  She looked up at Tenshi, then at Yukari.

“Shouting and interruptions do not lend the truth to your side,”  She stated calmly, “they are simply volume and rudeness, nothing more.”

“Don’t you-”

“Lady Yakumo,”  The shrine maiden of Autumn looked up at the tall youkai, “with what has been done, are we in danger of the forces of Heaven coming through the shrine right now?  I don’t mean if it’s complete, I mean right this second.”

The sage youkai’s eyes narrowed.  Before she could answer, Alice slid next to her and whispered into her ear.  Yukari took a deep breath and slowly sighed.

“...no, Miss Hakurei.”

“Then let us talk about these matters.  There is no need for bloodshed.” She turned to Tenshi.  “Miss Hinanawi, are you or Miss Nagae able to speak on behalf of the Heavens?”

As an envoy of the dragon god, I do have a limited capacity at which I may speak on Their Behalf.”  Iku nodded. “And while I may not be _of_ the Hinanawi family, I believe the work I have done with them gives me a good measure on what Tenshi may declare in their name as well.”

Satisfied with the answer, the shrine maiden turned to the foreman, still shaking.  “I do apologize for this interruption in your work, Master Artisan, but would you be willing to give your team a break as we discuss this?  There is plenty of food and drink available, and I can assure you Miss Izayoi is an excellent cook!”

“That- that- that’d be fine, yes!”  The woman grinned nervously as she continued to back up.  She turned to the workers. “BREAK TIME, FOLKS!”

“Ah- before you go…”

“Y-yes?!”

Reimu turned to her aunt.  “Magister Mima, if you could hold the keystone for the moment?”

“Sure, sure, make the _lich_ hold onto the holy artifact from Heaven…”  She gave the foreman a curt smile as she lifted the stone with her magic.

Reimu glanced at the crowd as the workers quietly made their way to the food.  Realizing the fight had been delayed at the very least, the others slowly dispersed as Reisen approached.

“You got this, kid?”

Reimu looked at Yukari and Alice, then Tenshi and Iku, before looking at her family.  She turned back to the lunar rabbit and smiled.

“I think so, but thank you very much, Miss Reisen.”

“Arright then, good luck.”  She gave the shrine maiden a small smile.  Turning, Reisen gave Tenshi a pat on the shoulder as the rabbit walked away.

 

Finding the clearing in front of the mostly constructed shrine to be large enough for their purpose, Reimu sat down; her gods sat behind her as the rest of her family sat opposite of her.  Yukari looked the others over before finally sitting with Alice. Noting the set up, Tenshi and Iku sat in the last clear spot across from the two blondes.

Reaching into her apron, Marisa pulled out a scroll and began to fill out blank sections, glancing up at those present in the circle every now and then.  The scroll finished, she intoned the words as she tapped various trigrams on her mini-hakkero. The spell completed, a field of energy surrounded them for a second before disappearing from sight.  To those outside, the ones sitting in the circle had become the least interesting thing at the party, causing everyone to focus their attention elsewhere.

With preparations set, Reimu turned her attention to Yukari.

“Now… Lady Yakumo, your concern is the Hinanawi Clan, and ultimately Heaven, will have a foothold in Gensokyo if their shrine is complete,” she stated, “is that fair to say?”

“There is more, but that is the primary concern, yes.”  The sage nodded. Reimu turned to the celestial.

“Miss Hinanawi, you mentioned your intent to rebuild the shrine after the incident was resolved; what was the reason for choosing the shrine of your clan?”

“I- I didn’t-”  Tenshi began to stutter.  Iku whispered into her ear as Reimu touched her leg.

“It’s okay.” She nodded.  “Take your time.”

Tenshi took a deep breath and exhaled.

“I had not considered the how different our shrines are from yours… nor had I considered what would happen by building one here.”  She swallowed. Yukari’s eyes narrowed.

“You had no other ulterior motives?”  Reimu pressed. Tenshi grimaced.

“Well, I mean, I did know it’d make it easier for me to visit,” she admitted, “b-but I didn’t plan to bring anyone else with me, other than Iku!  I mean, I was assuming you’d b-be-” Tenshi paused once more, taking another deep breath. “I was planning to ask permission before using that aspect, Miss Reim- Miss Hakurei.”

The sage youkai let out an irritated sigh, the gaps in the truth of Tenshi’s words disappearing with her addendum.

“And how highly _are_ you ranked within your family, **Miss** Hinanawi?”  Yukari asked.  “Would you have the power to stop anyone else who decided that the shrine would be a fine entrypoint for some ambitious celestial, seeking to secure a rare resource, or looking to get a quick mark off of Heaven’s hit lists?”

“I- I-”

“How many others are there who could simply veto your requests not to enter through here?”

“Th- there are… there are some who would have that power, yes.”  She nodded. “B-but I don’t believe they would!” She turned to her guardian with a pleading look.  “Right? Do you… do you think anyone in my family would-?”

Iku held her chin as she thought.  Her position had allowed her information on the Yakumo Clan when Tenshi first started thinking of visiting Gensokyo, making the envoy well aware of how perceptive Yukari was.

“...I do not believe any within your family would be willing to do that, as things stand now.”  She finally answered. “But… I cannot deny the chance is there, were a dire situation to develop within Heaven.  I do not believe they would relish doing such a thing, but… they _would_ put Heaven’s needs above Gensokyo’s.”  Iku drew her brows together as she looked at her charge.  “I’m sorry Tenshi. Had I considered this, I would have told the construction team to use a local build instead.”

“O-oh…” Tenshi looked down, her voice sounded far away.  “I… I’m sorry.”

Before Yukari could respond, Reimu held up a hand.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but… Heaven is a plane of Law, is it not?”

“That is right, Miss Hakurei.”  Iku nodded. “Technically, it’s also a plane of Virtue, but…” she glanced over those sitting in the circle, “well… I suppose that’s not important right now.”

“And beings of Law,” the shrine maiden looked between her aunt and the sage, “they are bound to _follow_ laws and agreements, correct?”

“That’s right.”  Mima nodded. “It’s tied to their very essence; breaking any legitimate law will give them literal pain.  It’s… part of the reason a lot of heavenly beings don’t visit much.”

“Miss Hinanawi, I believe I heard you say that, were the shrine to be complete, it would not interfere with Divinity Minoriko or Divinity Shizuha’s abilities to gather faith, correct?  The Hinanawi Clan would not be able to prevent them from doing their jobs or living here in any way?”

“Th- that’s right.  Right?” Tenshi quickly looked at Iku; the envoy nodded.  “Y-yeah! They should be fine, I think.”

The shrine maiden nodded and smiled.  “Then I believe what we need here is an official contract between Heaven and Gensokyo, to assure everyone here that Yukari’s concerns shall not come to pass.  Would this be acceptable to everyone?”

Mima grinned as Yukari pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Don’t worry, Lady Yakumo…”  Alice pat her friend on the back.  “I am well versed in contractual bindings.”

The sage glanced at Koakuma, fretting about Patchouli.

“...I suppose that’s true.”

“And, as amusing as your pain is to me…” Mima began, smirking.

“Auntie…”  Reimu sighed.

“This is still my home, so I’m not about to let them pull a fast one, either.”

Yukari gave the spectre a flat stare.

“Just… give me your damn pipe.”  She growled.

 

With the contract drawn up, signed, and approved by all concerned parties, the shrine’s reconstruction was swiftly completed.  With the building acting as a direct line to her home plane, Tenshi and Iku quickly brought their copy of the contract to Heaven.  Upon returning a few minutes later, Iku presented Yukari with a missive from the Dragon God themself, granting Gensokyo their approval and word to not only uphold the letter of the contract, but the spirit as well.  The sage youkai, already armed with knowledge of the envoy’s god, knew their word was good and relaxed to a degree.

As the party continued to rage, Reimu and Marisa followed Mima back into the basement with the lich’s phylactery in tow.

“Ya know, it’s kinda hilarious…” Mima grinned as they stopped at the back of the basement.  “As much as Yukari’s all worried about the shrine becoming the stronghold for Heaven, I’m pretty sure _this_ thing is likely to destroy Gensokyo before anything else.”

Reimu looked at the repaired disc in her aunt’s hands.  “Oh, did you add new wards to it?”

The spectre’s widening grin threatened to detach her jaw.  “You could say th- sweetie, stop glaring at me, please?”

“STILL PISSED.”  Marisa growled through clenched teeth.

“Wh-what happened?”

Mima looked around before shrugging.  “Eh, everyone who might be close enough is too drunk to hear properly.  I suppose I should tell you what happened while you were gone…”

 

* * *

 

“I was under the impression the mithril was to be used for accenting, not the primary component.”  Patchouli called over the din of the hammering. Mima paused in Marisa’s body as she wiped her brow.  With a snap of her fingers, liquid fire swirled around the light metal disc, bringing it to a white-hot malleable state once more.  Another round of hammering brought it to completion. “After all, the metal is known for-”

“It’s commonly associated with holy and virtuously aligned items, yes.”  The haunted magician completed. “But that’s simply because such things take to the metal well, not because the metal itself is holy.”

Spinning the spellform once more, Mima resized the holographic display, shrinking it to the size of the new blank disc.

“...are we still needed for this?”  The lavender-haired magician asked quietly.  Mima’s grin spread across Marisa’s face.

“Sorry, for the first time in centuries my head’s a little more clear, and I know exactly what’s needed for this part.”  Her green eyes slid over to Patchouli. “But to answer your question, yes. Right now, in fact!”

Giving the two explicit instructions, the three mages began to pour their magicks into the pure mithril disc, imprinting the runes from the spellform upon it.  Rare materials and exotic oils joined the mix, filling the engravings and empowering the gemstones embedded within.

(Why do you keep looking over at Tewi?)  Marisa asked her mother. Mima internally winced; she had taught her daughter the tricks necessary to keep her mind and body her own, but the lich had never done the practical training to see how well the girl had learned them.  Since possessing Marisa, Mima found out she had learned quite well; well enough she was uncertain if she could hold her in place if need be.

(I’d rather not discuss it right now, dear.)  The possessor thought back. Even skilled tricksters had a hard time telling lies to a mage while within their mind.  While her statement was not actually a lie, Mima’s answer read quite clearly as a bide for time.

(Ma.)  She could feel the non-existent disapproving stare from her daughter.  (I _know_ I’m not distracting you.   _You_ , however, are distracting _me_ when you do th- THERE, LIKE RIGHT NOW.  Just wh-)

Marisa suddenly paused she she heard her mother’s thoughts leak.  Mima’s wince was hidden behind the grimace of the force of power she imbued into the seal.

(Wh- what do you mean, ‘she’s running out of time’?)  Her voice became the calm before the storm.

“I am afraid I am at a loss as to what we are doing.”  Patchouli panted as they finished their ensorcellments of the seal.  “I was under the impression once a phylactery was made for a lich, it could not be replaced, and we have done nothing to the damaged anchor.”

Alice nodded.  “That’s what my studies on the subject had taught me as well.”

Mima stared at the mithril seal through Marisa’s eyes.  It was certainly beautiful, the metal disc one tenth the size of her stone seal she had made when she left her humanity behind.  She found herself smiling as the runes slowly morphed on the surface, ready to acclimate to her needs. She blinked as she felt the thoughts Marisa had been scanning though.

(...you told her to do _what_?)  Her daughter’s voice became the encroaching storms.

(Just… trust me for a bit longer, sweetie.)  She thought. (You’re… becoming hard to contain, and we’re almost done.)

Mima’s green eyes moved up to the two magicians, neither one aware of the maelstrom occurring in their friend’s mind.

“That’s right.”  She gave the them a lopsided grin.  “Mostly. You can’t replace a phylactery…” she raised an arm, “that exists.”

“Wh- wha-?”

“No-no-NO-NO- **NO-NO-!** ”  Alice screamed as the arm came down, cracking the stone seal in half.  The residual magicks remaining spilled and mixed, shattering the disc completely with multiple explosions.

( ** _MA!_** )  Mima was unable to hold back the jolt, barely aware of the screaming from the other two magicians.  ( **_WHAT THE FUCK?!_** )  Her daughter’s voice became the godstorm, slamming its fury against beachfront property.

(Just- bear with me, it’ll be fine-)  She could feel the pull of Higan start to grow.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Komachi flinch.

(That was MY ARM that just destroyed what keeps you here!)

Marisa’s body blinked; a nervous chuckle escaped from her lips.

(...oh.)  She finally sent back, realization dawning upon her.  (I’m… sorry, dear.)

The green eyes turned back to the two enraged faces of her daughter’s friends.  “Okay, so… yelling later, this is rather time sensitive.”

“-fucking INFORM US OF THIS, you abhorrent, deviant-!”

“So this-”  Ignoring Patchouli’s ranting, she placed the mithril disc floating above the center of the shards, “-needs to go into here.”  The pull continued to grow. “By putting this in the middle, my soul will be moved into the better container, _and_ provide me with much better defense in the future.  Assuming… we finish in time.”

“We will have _words later_ , Mima.”  Alice growled as a cadre of dolls spun around, gathering the stone chips.

“Sure sure, just keep in mind you’re behind Marisa.”

 

* * *

 

“...and so after that, we finished building what’s now the outer shell, I went back inside, which allowed my spirit form to pop back out.”  Mima finished as Marisa carefully replaced the section of foundation over the seal, keeping it hidden. “Then I go ‘hey… feelin’ better, kid?’ and Marisa just pulls out her deck and screams ‘FOUR CARDS!’, which, you know, I thought was kinda rude, since she didn’t answer my question, but…”

“Auntie!”  Reimu had covered her mouth out of shock halfway through her story and had not lowered her hands since.  “That- that was incredibly mean to do!” Her eyes began to water as she looked up at the embarrassed lich.  “Apologize to Marisa right now! And- and give her a hug!”

Letting out a sigh, Mima turned to Marisa and held out her arms, giving her a sad smile.  “I really am sorry I frightened you like that, dear.” She whispered as Marisa slowly walked over and accepted the embrace.

“I could feel the stone break against my hand.”  The magician’s voice wavered as she finally let her fears out.  Tears began to drop into the lich’s deep blue robes. “I- I knew that’d… that’d be all I’d’ve remember if you’d- if you’d…”

“I hadn’t even considered that when I was working.”  She hugged her daughter tighter. “I’m sorry for hurting you.”

“Just, fucking-”  The magician choked back a sob as she growled.  “Be more careful in the future! Gods… dammit!”

 

With the phylactery safely stored, Marisa and Reimu made their way back to the party, meeting up with Tenshi and Iku.  As The shrine maiden and the envoy watched the celestial get ready for her dream battle, Mima drifted over to Tewi once more.  Reisen, noting the nod from her companion, left to stand with Reimu.

“...thanks for your help today.”  The lich murmured.

The bunny nodded, keeping her eyes on the opening moves between the two combatants.  The battle quickly grew in intensity as the two focused on the fight, taking to the sky as they reflected off of one another.

“...why did you let me live?”

Tewi continued to remain quiet as she stared at the two fighting.  As Marisa blasted the celestial with alchemical bombs, the bunny looked up at the lich.

“...the worst part of the attacks on the town weren’t always the attacks themselves…” She stated quietly, “sometimes it was the aftermath.  A lot of people lost children, parents, friends… and not everyone had the strength and willpower to overcome that. It caused a lot of strife and oaths of vengeance.  Oaths that went nowhere but insanity, of course.”

Tewi looked back up at the lich’s daughter.  “I couldn’t do that to Marisa. I wouldn’t be able to face Reimu afterwards, either; it would shatter her heart if I did that.   _That_ would gravely hurt Reisen as well… and those are just the people that I know well.”

“...I’m sorry.”  The spectre whispered, turning to the fight again.  “I wasn’t attempting to hide behind guilt with that.”

“...it is what it is.”  Tewi sighed.

“As much as I’d like to promise not to betray the chance you’ve given me… I never thought I would commit all the atrocities I have, so I’d rather not have that turn into a lie.”  The lich shook her head. “All I can tell you is I’ll continue to do what I can to properly guide those two, so others either won’t have to ever suffer another person like me… or so they can help others recover if such a thing happens.”

“That’ll have to do.”

Tenshi smiled broadly as she launched an attack against Marisa, her sword slicing through the magician’s skirt as she charged by.  Marisa grinned as her chain of bombs went off, chasing Tenshi along the path she dashed. Quickly recovering from the explosions, the two faced one another once more.

“Ah~❤”

Mima slowly grinned as most everyone else missed the puppeteer’s cry over the sounds of combat.

“Well.”  The lich started as Tewi covered her face, unable to hold back her own smile.  “That’s _one_ room of the shrine properly blessed!”

“I had wondered where those two magicians went…”

 

The party continued on around the newly constructed shrine, marking the end of another incident.  As Reimu’s circle of friends continued to expand, so too did Gensokyo’s allies, bringing hope for another day.


End file.
